Dial light for telephones



Sept. 17, 1929. E. c. BUCHANAN 1,728,352

DIAL LIGHT FOR TELEPHONES Filed Sept. 4, 1928 dummy Patented Sept. 17,1929 PATENT OFFICE EDWIN C. BUCHANAN, OF NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE DIAL LIGHTFOR TELEPHONES Application filed September 4, 1928. Serial No. 303,938.

My invention is an improvement in telephone apparatus ot' thatparticular type or system commonly known as automatic, in which a dialis used and operated by a subscriber to make the desired telephoneconnection with another subscriber.

In the operation of this system the transmitt r and receiver areoftentimes located where there is insutiicient light to enable theoperator to conveniently readthe indicia on the dial. and itis thereforethe main object of my invention to provide an electric lamp attachmentfor the standard of the transmitter which will throw its light directlyon to the dial, in association with a switch in circuit with the. lampand operated automatically when the receiver is removed from the hookand replaced thereon.

A further object of my invention is to provide a small and economicalattachment of this kind which may be readily applied to the conventionaltype of standard forming part of the transmitter and will not detractfrom the appearance of the telephone apparatus or interfere with itsusual operation.

Vith these principal objects in view my invention consists of anattachment comprising a small lamp of the type commonly known asflash-lights. in con'ibination'with means for attaching the same to thestandard of the transmitter and for controlling the circuit to the lampautomatically on operation of the arm which carries the receiver; all ashereinafter fully described and more specifically sett'orth in theappended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in front elevation showing the application of myimproved dial light,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the attach ment, and

Fig. 3 is a top plan view ofthe same.

My invention is applied to that particular class of telephone apparatuscomprising a transmitter 10 at the upper and of a standard 11 having abase on which the dial 12 is fastened, the standard carrying thevertically movable arm 13 supporting the receiver 14, my improvedautomatic dial light being adapted to be fastened to the aforesaidstandard to direct the light therefrom on to the dial and to provide forturning the light on and off by movement of the arm 13 when the receiveris removed from and replaced on said arm, as hereinafter de.. scribedwhereby the lamp will be lighted for the period of time it is actuallyrequired in tlie operation of the t--lephone 1n making a ca l.

In carrying out my invention I employ a small electric lamp device ofthe type commonly known as a flash-light comprising a casing 15 havingan electric light bulb '16 at one end and enclosing the battery whichfurnishes the electric current, said casing. as usual. having aslide-switch 17 at one side for making and breaking the circuit from onepole of the battery. To the. back of the casing of this lamp I attach ametal clip having oppositely curved members 18 18 to embrace thestandard 11 and be clamped thereon by abolt and nut 19 passed throughextensions 18 18* of said clamping members, and to provide for a slightresiliency ot' the inner ends of said clamping member they are providedwith diverging extensions 18* 18 integrally connected to the attachingplate 18 of the clip by which the latter is welded or otherwise rigidlysecured to the electric-lamp casing. In addition to the switch 17 andalso in circuit with the electric light bulb 16 I provide an auxiliaryswitch operated by the movable arm of the telephone apparatus. For thispurpose the vertical member 20 of a bent tube is attached, as bywelding, to one side of'the lamp-casing 15, with the outer end of thehorizontal member 20 thereof formed into a band 21 in which is supportedthe cylindrical body portion 22 of the auxiliary switch, the bent tubeforming a conduit for the electric cord 23 from the lamp as well as asupport for said switch. This switch comprises the aforesaid bodyportion 22, of insulating material having a bore extending verticallytheret-hrough in the upper end of which is threaded a post 24 formingone of the terminals or contact points of the switch and in the lowerend of which slides a rod 25 forming the other terminal or contact pointof the switch, the bore in said body portion being enlarged at its lowerend, to receive the reduced inner end 26 of a nut 26 threaded therein toretain the slide rod or terminal 25, the latter having a collar 25*for'limiting its outward movement. To normally and yieldingly hold theslidable contact-rod out of contact with the terminal 24 a nut 27 isthreaded on the lower end of said rod and a spring 28 is interposedbetween the fixed nut 26 at the lower end of the body portion 22 andsaid nut 27 whereby to provide for closing the circuit on upwardmovement of the slidable terminal 25 against the action of the spring,it'being noted that one of the wires from the cord 23 extends out of themember 20 of the tubular switch support and is connected to theprojecting end of terminal 24, while the other wire is connected to thenut 26 through which the other terminal works, the body portion.

22 and end of the slidable rod 25 being of insulating material toprevent short circuiting of the electric current through the lamp in oneinstance and in the other instance pre-' vent possible interference withthe telephone circuit through the metal arm which engages said slidablerod.

The application and operation of my improved automatic dial light fortelephone apparatus will be readily understood by reference to Fig. 1 ofthe drawingsfor the electric lamp having the light bulb at its lower endis attached to standard 11 of the transmitter, by means of the members18, 18 which embrace said standard and are clamped thereon by the bolt19, said casing being adjusted on the standard to locate the lower endof the spring-actuated termianl 25 immediately below the shank of thearm 13 in the lowered position of said arm, or when it is depressed bythe receiver suspended from the outer end-thereof. When so arranged, andwith switch 17 closed the lighting of the lamp or light bulb 16 iscontrolled by said auxiliary switch, that is the said switch is heldnormally open by the spring, with the light extinguished, and when thereceiver 14 is removed from the hook 13 the latter in its upwardmovement for telephoning will automatically push rod or terminal 25 incontact with rod or terminal 24 thus closing this auxiliary circuit sothat the electric lamp will be lighted and throw its light on to thedial so that it can be clearly read in making the required telephonicconnection. The automatic dial light will be found very convenient inthose cases where the telephone apparatus is located in places wherethere is insufiicient light either in day time or night, but where theapparatus is located so that the dial is properly lighted during thedaytime but not at night the main switch 17 may be opened during thedaytime so as to save the batteries by not having the lamp lightedunnecessarily every time the receiver is removed from itssupporting arm.

It will be understood, of course, that inasmuch as I employ an electriclamp of the flash-light type the battery or batteries (not shown) whichsupply the current can be renewed in the usual manner by opening theupper end of the casing, and it will be also understood that withrespect to the main features of my invention changes or modificationscan be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. A dial lighting attachment for telephones comprising an electric lampand circuit, a clip secured to the lamp-casing for attaching the same tothe standard of the transmitter, a supporting arm secured to andprojecting from the lamp-casing, and a switch in circuit with the lampand carried by the supporting arm, said switch consisting of a bodyportion of insulating material, a terminal secured in the upper endthereof, a movable terminal slidable in the lower end of said bodyportion and havin a collar thereon, and a spring interposed between saidcollar and lower end of the aforesaid body portion of the switch to holdthe switch normally open, the terminals being in circuit with the lamp.

2. A dial lighting attachment for telephones comprismg an electric lampand circuit, means for securing the lamp-casing to the standard of thetransmitter, a tubular supporting arm secured to the lamp-casing andhaving a member projecting at ri ht angles therefrom, a body portion ofinsufating material carried at the outer end of-the projecting member ofthe supporting arm, an electric terminal threaded 1n the upper end ofsaid body portion, an electric terminal slidable in the lower endthereof for movement in and out of contact with the aforesaid terminal,a collar on the projecting end of the slidable terminal, and a springinter posed between said collar and the lower end of the aforesaid bodyportion for moving the slidable terminal out of contact with itscompanion terminal.

3. A dial lighting attachment for telephones comprising an electric lampof the flash-light type having a casing, a light-bulb and a switch incircuit with the light-bulb, a clip secured to thelamp casing forattaching the same to the standard of thetransmitter, a tubularsupporting arm attached to one side of the lamp-casing and having amember projecting at right angles therefrom, and a switch secured at theouter end of the supporting arm and consisting of a. body portion havinga terminal threaded in the upper end thereof, a terminal sildable in thelower end of said body portion, and a spring for projecting the lastmentioned terminal out of contact with the other terminal of the switch,the said terminal being connected to the lamp circuit by a cord passingthrough the switch supportingmember.

EDWIN G. BUCHANAN.

